July 8, 2010

I didn’t think that Karl could outdo a giant glacier as the centerpiece for a runway show – but somehow he did. On Tuesday, Chanel unveiled its Fall/Winter 2010-2011 Haute Couture show at the Grand Palais in Paris with an “8-ton, 40-foot-tall golden lion, [with] its paw perched on an enormous pearl” serving as the backdrop. (WWD).

The inspiration for the lion is clear – born on August 19th, Gabrielle Bonheur “Coco” Chanel was a Leo. She loved lions and they surfaced everywhere from her apartment decor, buttons and even her gravestone. The centerpiece for the haute couture runway show is a replica of a marble sculpture from her infamous apartment at 31 Rue Cambon. “Gabrielle Chanel surrounded herself with models of lions in wood, silver, bronze or alabaster…[and t]he lion became a timeless biographical seal on numerous of her creations.” (Chanel News).

Chanel herself, felt a close affinity with lions: “August 19th is my birthday. I was born under the sign of Leo. I am a Leo and, like a lion, I use my claws to prevent people from doing me harm, but, believe me, I suffer more from scratching than from being scratched.”

The lion inspired some of her creations and lion heads were commonly found embossed on the buttons of her iconic tweed suits.

Not only is Karl Lagerfeld an ingenious designer, he truly respects and understands the woman that Coco Chanel was. He stays true to what inspired her and he gives it all a modern twist. Of course, he is one of the few people in the world who has access to her apartments and archives (what I would do to be a fly on the wall!). I hope that his successor will have the same respect for Chanel’s vision.

On Tuesday, Chanel had its 2010-2011 Fall/Winter Haute Couture show at the Grand Palais in Paris with an “8-ton, 40-foot-tall golden lion, [with] its paw perched on an enormous pearl” serving as the backdrop. (WWD). The beauty at the show was very classic and simple: soft eyes and cheeks with a strong red lip with nails to match. I think it’s clean look for fall where makeup can tend to get heavy. The overall look is very light but warm enough for the cold months.

Peter Philips, Global Creative Director of CHANEL Makeup, used the following CHANEL products to create the runway beauty looks at the 2010-2011 Fall/Winter Haute Couture runway show in Paris:

July 7, 2010

Each year Allure Magazine hosts a Reader’s Choice Award and this year, Chanel N˚5 won Best Classic Fragrance. This should come as no surprise as Chanel N˚5 has been making waves since it debuted on May 5, 1921. Perhaps the most famous fragrance in the world, a bottle of Chanel N˚5 is sold every 55 seconds. (Stephen Brook, Guardian.co.uk). No other perfume has gained the iconic status of Chanel N˚5 and it’s easy to see why it would win the Best Classic Fragrance award.

July 1, 2010

Above: Le sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring): Part I (The Adoration of the Earth) – by Igor Stravinsky

There’s a moment in Director Jan Lounen’s film Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky, after a passionate sex scene (one of many), where the Russian composer tells Chanel, played by Anna Mouglalis, that she is not an artist. She could have had any man she wanted but she could not deny that which inspired her, even if he was married.

This moment ends an intense yet short affair between the innovative designer and the Russian composer but not before the two reached amazing high points in their respective careers.

After dedicating herself to her work, Chanel slowly began to evolve into a piece of art herself. This is something Lounen’s translates beautifully through the visuals in his film. Most of the film takes place in Coco’s garden villa, where she invited the exiled Stravinsky (Mads Mikkelsen) and his family to stay while he worked. The decor of the villa is lavish and speaks to the indulgence of the intense affair. The whimsical garden, large enough for a horse ride and a swing between the trees, speaks to the romantic tones of the film down to the moans coming from the secret love shack in the woods.

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky

In another scene, while in her room and after parting with Stravinsky, Chanel catches a glimpse of herself working in the mirror and pulls the drape to cover it. As unapologetic and not guilty as Coco felt about her affair with a married man, we see that it really is lonely at the top. She’s surrounded by extravagance and elegance but her loneliness is almost painful for her to witness. Her strict and detailed ways allowed her reach a level of success that is unmatched by any other fashion designer. Stravinsky’s revolutionary use of dissonance propelled him into music history books. After Boy Capel’s death, all the grief-stricken Coco wanted was to be fascinated and intrigued by a man again. She was a woman who yearned, lusted and loved.

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky

The film paints Coco as a woman of high standards, admired by other woman for her confidence but plagued by others thinking that her gambling with love meant she did not take it seriously.

From the beginning, the film is whimsical and romantic and at times makes you feel like you’re in a surreal world of savage love and emotions. The intense story follows both Chanel and Stravinsky’s greatest achievements (Ballet Russes, Chanel No. 5) but also captures the pain and “decay” of Catherine Stravinsky—played by a striking Yelena Morozova—as she if forced to watch it all unfold before her and her children’s eyes.

The stunning costumes and score are enough to realize that this isn’t just another Chanel film. Uncle Karl even designed a gown for the film but every gown and outfit in this feature is just as stunning as the next. From Chanel to the male actors fitted in the most appropriate suits, expect to find your mouth slightly opened in awe of the sex, fashion and music Coco & Igor provides.

June 30, 2010

Last week I posted images from the Chanel Fall 2010 makeup collection. Today, I received images giving a closer look at some of the new items in the collection. I’m very excited about paradoxal – it seems to be a bit of a paradox -it’s a mellow color yet very vibrant at the same time. I can’t wait for it to come out so I can add it to my collection of Le Vernis Nail Colours.

June 29, 2010

It used to be that to find info on Chanel, you could only visit Chanel.com – and the info and images you would find there would be very limited. With the growing popularity of social media, Chanel has gone from being elusive to being more accessible online.

For its recent Rouge Coco Hydrating Creme Lip Colour launch, Chanel released an interactive media campaign on Facebook. Chanel fans can learn about the history of Chanel lipstick, see campaign images and behind the scenes videos and allow fans to send virtual Chanel buttons to each other.

For a brand who used to cater to its older (ie, monied) clientele, Chanel is making attempts at reaching a younger audience with campaigns such as the Facebook Rouge Coco virtual buttons. Why would Chanel change things up so much?

I think Chanel is realizing that Chanel fans start young and need to feel like they can buy into the Chanel fantasy. Giving prospective customers the tools to interact with the brand online is one way of building brand loyalty amongst a younger customer base.

Facebook is just one of many new tools that Chanel is using to reach customers using technology. Next, I’ll discuss the growing number of apps, podcasts and media campaigns they are using to get potential shoppers to buy into the Chanel fantasy.

June 23, 2010

Les Fidèles De Chanel, or “the faithful ones” are girls about town that act as modern-day Chanel ambassadors. One of Fidèles is Poppy Delevingne, British socialite and model. Her Summer Travel Essentials are perfect for a day at the beach.

I’m drooling over the shades and the beach towel/tote bag set. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…I’m available, ready and willing to be one of Les Fidèles De Chanel…just say the word Karl and we’re good to go!

A few months ago we showed you images from the Chanel Autumn/Winter 2010 Ready to Wear Collection and we’ve recently received info on the Fall 2010 Cosmetics collection. You may recall the snowy theme of the Fall 2010 collection and Peter Philips worked closely with Karl Lagerfeld to come up with a beauty collection worthy of an ice princess.

The Fall 2010 collection features makeup that will give you a bold eye, while keeping cheeks and lips soft. The nails steal the show again this season with a new must-have color called Paradoxal, a greyish-violet that will leave beauty mavens clamoring at makeup counters.

June 14, 2010

I remember when Chanel Vamp came out in 1994. It was the first time I saw how a nail color could take hold and create a frenzy among fashion and beauty mavens. I was in college, and definitely wasn’t buying designer polish, but I was following the trends enough to know that Chanel Vamp was creating history.

Flash forward to 2008 when Peter Philips was named global creative director of Chanel Makeup. The first nail color created under his direction was Gold Fiction. Like liquid gold, Gold Fiction revived the frenzy of having the must-have color at every fashionista’s finger tips. Since then, every collection has featured a set of limited edition colors that have sold out at makeup counters and sold for over $100 on ebay. (Jade has reportedly created the most frenzy with prices reaching $165 on ebay. Laurel Pinson).

Yes, the colors are ground breaking in that they are trendsetters. That is, many mass market nail color brands follow suit and create copy cat colors. But I don’t think that’s the main reason. I think that the Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colours are an easy in to the Chanel Fantasy – “the gateway drug“, if you will.

With basic Chanel flats starting at over $500 and Chanel 2.55 bags starting at over $2,000, Le Vernis Nail Colour is a steal at $23 to $25 a bottle. Expensive for nail polish? Yes, and some might say that a person is crazy for spending that much on nail polish. But, when you compare that to the cost of other Chanel products it’s a drop in the bucket.

Most people can’t afford the Chanel shoes, bags and clothing but are Chanelphiles nonetheless (I can attest to that!). Le Vernis Nail Colours are a way for fledgling Chanel fans to buy into the Chanel fantasy.

June 10, 2010

The winners of the Fragrance Foundation’s FiFi Awards were announced and Chanel N˚5′s “No.5: Train de nuit” won the award for Best Media Campaign. As you may recall, the campaign for Chanel N˚5 feautured French ingénue Audrey Tautou and directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who directed her in her breakthrough film, “Amélie.”

The campaign certainly deserves this honor as it was the best media campaign I have seen for a fragrance. Not only was the film beautiful, but all of the correlative marketing materials – from the website to print ads – were gorgeous and evocative of the classic Chanel N˚5 scent.